


Prince of the Halflings

by sue_denimme



Category: Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-01
Updated: 2012-02-01
Packaged: 2017-10-30 11:46:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/331406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sue_denimme/pseuds/sue_denimme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frodo takes note of Pippin's new title.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prince of the Halflings

" _Ernil i Pheriannath_?" Frodo inquired as a triumphantly beaming Pippin turned away from the pastry-seller's cart, with a basket full of tarts, cakes, and pies.

"Oh, that's just something they call me here. It means -- "

"I know what it means, Pippin. Here, not so fast, lad!"

Pippin slowed, belatedly remembering that his cousin's feet were still recovering from Mordor, and they had been at the market for a couple of hours already. "Sorry."

Frodo caught up, and took the tart that Pippin offered him. "Are you going to tell me _why_ they're calling you the Prince of the Halflings?"

Pippin picked up another tart and bit into it while he pondered his answer. Finally he shrugged. "I'm not sure exactly why, to tell you the truth. It was a notion that some of the people here took into their heads, that's all."

"And you didn't encourage that notion in any way, of course."

"Of course not!" Pippin managed to look offended and amused at the same time. "I told them and told them I wasn't a prince. But they insisted that I must be one. They were saying I had come out of the north to offer our allegiance to Gondor, and five thousand swords, if you can believe it."

Frodo raised his eyebrows. Clearly he could not believe it.

"I know!" Pippin nodded vigorously in agreement. "I think maybe it was just that the times were so desperate, they were latching on to every tiny bit of hope they could find."

"Even an army of hobbits?" Frodo shook his head, but he was grinning, much to Pippin's relief.

"Well, if you think about it, cousin, they weren't far wrong in the end, after all. It _was_ hobbits who saved them, wasn't it? And we didn't even need five thousand swords to do it. Just one silly Baggins."

"Oy!" Frodo protested. "If _I'm_ silly, then how silly were the three of _you_ for following me?"

A light swat on the back of his head was his reward, and the two of them passed laughing out of the town square.

 

~end~


End file.
